Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and its incidence increases with age, with the majority of patients being diagnosed after menopause. However, in 15-25% of cases, it can occur premenopausal and approximately 7% of women are under 40. Therefore, a significant proportion of young women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their reproductive years.
Most cases of cancer require chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy, which contribute to in the decline in women's reproductive function (always in relation to age ) . The effectiveness of these treatments implies a high five-year survival rate, which in turn leads to an increasing number of young women surviving breast cancer before fulfilling their reproductive desires . If we add to all this the current trend of delaying pregnancy (after 35 years), The importance of counseling and fertility preservation at the time of diagnosis (and not later) of breast cancer in young women is evident .
The good news is that a wide range of fertility preservation techniques have been developed, mainly cryopreservation (freezing) of eggs and embryos .
Early counseling and referral of these patients to fertility specialists are fundamental factors in order to maximize the chances of pregnancy after cancer treatment .
Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Dracopoulos
Gynecologist, Fertility specialist
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